FEAST WITH A CHEF

Welcome to Feast with a Chef, which brings great food cooked by Britain’s top chefs to the simple and friendly surroundings of a village hall. We’re lucky enough to have been cooked dinners by a star-studded lineup of chefs including Michael Wignall, Ottolenghi’s head chef Ramael Scully, David Everitt-Matthias, Richard Davies, Emily Watkins, Matt Gillan, MasterChef Pro winner Steven Edwards, John Campbell, Silla Bjerrum, Will Holland, Nathan Outlaw, Ryan Simpson, Liam Trotman, Chris Harrod, Olly Jackson and Adam Banks.All have been sellouts. Most feasts have been in Long Ashton near Bristol, but we’ve also run feasts in Abergavenny (as part of the Food Festival) and in Oxford (to launch Ottolenghi’s NOPI Cookbook). We’ve even gone a bit wild with some Soup & Starling Feasts on the Somerset Levels, and Bangers & Birdsong and Dawn Chorus feasts in Long Ashton – all centred around birds and/or birdsong.

Great food deserves great wines so we ask a local wine expert to select wines of varying prices to match the evening’s menu and we sell them, plus local ciders, beers and juices, at our licensed bar. Scroll down to read what both chefs and diners thought of the overall village hall feast experience.

So what’s lined up for this autumn? We’re thrilled to announce that Rob Howell, from Root restaurant on Bristol’s Harbourside, will be cooking a Gourmet Winter Feast on Sunday 18th November. Before opening Root (owned by chef Josh Eggleton) Rob used to be head chef at Josh’s Michelin-starred Pony & Trap gastropub, and before that worked at Edinburgh’s prestigious Ondine fish restaurant.

Rob is a fierce champion of sustainability, so has become known for giving vegetables, rather than meat, the star billing. He also uses every single bit of the vegetable, from root to leaf, which includes sometimes ingeniously turning peelings into crisps. Rob has recently notched up a string of awards, including being named one of Britain’s top 100 restaurants by Restaurant magazine. SORRY – SOLD OUT. PLEASE EMAIL IF YOU’D LIKE TO GO ON THE WAITING LIST IN CASE OF CANCELLATIONS.

We were blown away by the flavours & use of local ingredients I hadn't even heard of; but the dishes themselves were not lost to a whim of invention but some how just tasted like the real ingredients but more intensely. A very special event; will certainly be heading to The Whitebrook. Hilary

What the chef said

I and my team really enjoyed bringing the flavours of the Wye Valley to the village hall. It was great showing the guests what can be found in the hedgerows and forests that surround The Whitebrook. Thanks to Clare for her amazing organisation, Mary and all the team for making the night so easy and fun. Chris

The food was divine, beautifully cooked and utterly delicious. The meat was wonderful - all of it - and the pudding was triumph. So were the blackberry and custard petit fours. Everyone at our table absolutely loved it. Thank you too for seating us next to such nice people. Lucy

Just wanted to say what a FANTASTIC event that was on Sunday morning. I loved every minute. The whole thing was perfect and so incredibly tasty and well presented too! I look forward to the next one! Mark

Yesterday was amazing. From start to finish it was a triumph, which I am sure is testament to how much work you must have put in to the whole event. The hot apple juice and the beautifully wrapped flapjacks were an extremely welcome surprise. The walk was wonderful and I don't think you could have picked a better day this year. The breakfast was scrumptious. As well as sampling all the pastries, I had THREE black puddings. Unforgettable; so well done you, and all those who brought it all together. I never thought I'd be so pleased to have got out of bed at 4.00am. Sarah

What the chef said

Hats off to Clare for the Dawn Chorus breakfast. Superb organisation & what a feast. Proud to have our bread & pastries there! Laura

That was truly the best meal I have ever had! We are just full of compliments to Clare, Will Holland, the venue, the service, and our fellow diners. It was so unpretentious in every way. We didn't get bogged down with 'foodie talk', yet we had the very best of company and foods, letting the genuine tastes of each ingredient burst through onto our taste buds. Nor did we feel we had eaten too much. The wine was exquisite. (Are there too many superlatives!?) Caroline

What the chef said

I absolutely loved my Feast with a Chef pop up. It really took me out of my comfort zone but the buzz I got from this challenge was amazing. The organisation of the whole event from the planning stages right through to the running of service by Clare and her fabulous team was faultless. Will

Just to say many thanks for such a brilliant time on Saturday - truly delicious food and drink, wonderful attention to detail - and all offered in such a convivial atmosphere. Plus sitting with Andrew Goodman (ie, one degree of separation from The Archers' geese) really made our evening! Anna

I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful evening. Hearing about the food and its sourcing makes things even more interesting as well. A few of the highlights: The dashi with the hake and crab dumpling was beautifully deep and intense; The cured mackerel with wasabi rocket was exquisite; the fantastic sake with with the fascinating citrusy twist; most of all however, I now have a new favourite ice cream. I was completely entranced by that green tea flavour ice cream. Howard

What the chef said

The guys and I had the most fantastic time cooking from the heart and mind for an amazingly receptive audience - we hope to be back for another feast in the gorgeous setting of Long Ashton Village Hall. Silla

TASTE OF SPRING FEAST
John Campbell, Chef-patron The Woodspeen
4 May 2015

Steven Edwards' food was lovely, as the Masterchef judges noted, especially the duck which melted in the mouth. But the evening was more than a sublime meal; it was an amazing community event enjoyed by many different kinds of people from the area joined together by a love of fine cooking. I loved the way Clare interviewed Edwards, talking him through the dishes he cooked to win the competition and giving us a glimpse of how nerve-wracking it was. Lucy

What the chef said

Feast with a Chef is a truly memorable evening bringing diners together - social dining is definitely where it's at. Cooking for 100 people at once is no mean feat but it couldn't have been achieved without everyone working as a team with Clare leading the way. I loved every minute! Steven

Scully produced a truly memorable meal, the highlight for me being the poached duck egg with crispy grains and dashi - wonderful texture and flavour combinations I've never experienced before.The amaranth petit four was pretty amazing too, as was the chocolate pudding - in fact the whole meal was stunning and all accompanied by a wonderful selection of wines. It was also thoroughly enjoyable meeting the other guests. Nikki

What the chef said

What was beautiful about this feast is that it gave me and the team the chance to showcase some of Britain's best organic vegetables at what was a very special and rare dining occasion. Thank you. Scully

My congratulations to Clare for making such a congenial atmosphere, to Matt who worked hard to such great effect and yet, in between courses, found the time to chat about his food, and finally to all who contributed to such a memorable occasion. Lorna

What the chef said

To do a dinner in a village hall is quite something. To do it for 100 people is pretty bonkers. But I enjoyed the experience, so a huge thank you to Clare for inviting me. It's completely different to my usual day's work. And getting to showcase what I do with food to a new audience is invaluable. Looking forward to the next one! Matt

Great food and good company in a relaxed, informal setting. I love that you don’t know what the menu will be, but I can assure you it'll be delicious! Edie

What the chef said

The vibe from the customers was brilliant, a great group of people who clearly all loved good food and wine. It was an absolute pleasure to cook for them. Clare and the gang organised the whole event like clock work. Emily

We all had a really, really enjoyable evening. It exceeded my expectations as I not only loved the food which surprised and delighted but also learned such a lot from the producers' talks, delivered with such passion. Well done! Emily

Thank you for a truly memorable evening. It was a rare, if not unique, opportunity for us to experience food of this calibre. I never thought I’d get my first taste of two-Michelin-star food in a village hall! David Everitt-Matthias' exquisite creations were a feast both for the tastebuds and for the eyes. Katherine

What the chef said

We had a wonderful evening cooking in the village hall. It was great fun with the most perfect customers. Well done Clare and your team for the organization. David

TASTE OF THE EAST FEAST
Ramael Scully, head chef at Ottolenghi's NOPI
22 March 2014

What an amazing evening you put together! Simon and I both commented how professional and yet cosy it all was which is a fantastic achievement, and all credit to you. We loved the food, and really enjoyed the whole do. Well done, you should be proud. Dom

The food was sensational - really zingy, different, inspiring and delicious. It was lovely to be able to thank the chef at the end too. PLEASE keep the feasts coming - it's such a great atmosphere - like a fun dinner party but without the hassle!! Miranda

What the chef said

This really was fantastic fun, and getting a standing ovation from everyone at the end was amazing - that's a rare thing in a chef's life. Scully

What a brilliant idea to be able to enjoy delicious food in an affordable way and at a relaxed, community village hall shared with our friends. The food was a delight for the senses, and to have a top chef brought to our neighbourhood was a real treat. We can’t wait for the next Feast with a Chef. Sarah

What the chef said

I'd definitely do the event again. It was fun and very different from the normal working day. Michael

ABOUT FEAST WITH A CHEF

The idea of Feast with a Chef is to provide top-notch food in a setting that’s friendly, relaxed and affordable – so where better than a village hall? We call it ‘Fine dining without the starch.’ How did it all start? As a food writer I interview a lot of top chefs. Keen to make first-class food available to a wider audience, I asked some I knew if they’d be willing to cook pop-up Feasts in village halls. Happily they agreed, and at Halloween 2013 2-Michelin-starred chef Michael Wignall got the ball rolling by cooking a feast for 150 in the village hall in Long Ashton, near Bristol. Since then many more have cooked amazing feasts. If there are chefs you think we should invite – or if you’re a top-drawer chef and fancy cooking for us – do get in touch.